The Consortium

Dr Angad Panesar is a Principal Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on sustainable energy technologies, and he leads the STEP Lab (Sustainable Technology & Engineering Projects) at the University of Brighton.

He has successfully delivered technology readiness levels 2 to 8 projects in energy conversion, propulsion, sustainable fuels and energy storage, via simulation and experimental methods applied to transport and stationary applications. He has concept-to-commissioning experience on new large-scale energy recovery test facilities, to operational experience on advanced heavy-duty research engines.

His role also encompasses leadership on engineering courses, and Student Engagement Lead at the faculty.

Cliff begun his career as a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, managing onboard marine engineering including power generation/ propulsion and maintenance, later serving as Assistant Royal Navy Liaison Officer overseeing wharf management and operations at Sembawang Naval Wharfs (Singapore).

Cliff holds a doctorate from the Open University for research into the potential for renewable energy and energy storage to be employed to produce potable water from seawater using reverse osmosis desalination.

Cliff took part in consultancy projects producing safety assessments for Associated British Ports. More than 15 years of consultancy experience relating to the transportation and renewable energy sectors inform his current research and teaching.

Research Interests:

Maritime Systems, Solar (PV and Thermal) power, Bioenergy (Biomass and Biofuels), Wind power, Ocean (Tidal and Wave Power), Energy storage and Fuel cells, Innovation processes and Engineering Management.

Dr Ioannis C. Moutzouris is the Associate Dean for Engagement; an Onassis Senior Lecturer in Shipping Finance and Analytics; and the Shipping and Energy Research Programme Lead at Bayes Business School (formerly Cass), City, University of London.

He is a Principal Academic Adviser at the UK DfT, a Co-Investigator of the UK National Clean Maritime Research Hub, and the UK Academic Director of the Greek Energy Forum.

His areas of expertise are shipping finance, economics, and sustainability; his work has been published in leading academic journals. Ioannis has worked as a naval engineer and as a consultant in the shipping industry.

Dr Janie Ling Chin is Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering of Durham University, UK. Janie’s PhD focussed on life cycle assessment (LCA) of conventional, retrofit, and state-of-the-art power systems for cargo ships, and her areas of research cover LCA (and sustainability), energy systems integration, hydrogen technology, and thermal management.

Janie is Co-Director (Responsive Research Fund and EDI Champion) of the Hub, leading the Hub’s Responsive Research Working Group, EDI Action Group, and WP4.4 Energy system, energy consumption, lifecycle emissions and cost analysis. Also, she contributes to the Hub’s Co-Innovation Impact Group and Networking, Secondments and Mentoring Working Group.

Dr Laurie Wright is driving knowledge and innovation for a sustainable low-carbon future. An Associate Professor and the founding director of the Centre for Marine Sustainability in the Warsash Maritime School, Solent University, he leads a multidisciplinary team addressing global maritime challenges through high-impact, applied research and innovation.

He specialises in decarbonisation and life cycle sustainability in the maritime sector. His team’s work includes pioneering clean alternative marine propulsion systems, investigating the impacts of marine pollution, and enhancing the safety of maritime workers. Their notable projects include the development of an autonomous vessel testing facility, innovations in hull architecture for improved vessel efficiency, the creation of a prototype zero-emission electric ferry, and advancements in maritime simulation realism.

Recipient of the prestigious international American Centre for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) award for academic leadership; he is an author and editor, including of the recent ‘The Power of Life Cycle Assessment: Data Driven Decision Making for Environmental Sustainability’. He is also providing his expertise as a scientific advisory to several maritime working groups.

Beyond his professional endeavours, Dr Wright is a proud father and dog parent. When not anchored to his lab he can be found at home cooking-up a mean BBQ or in a dance competition with his children.

Dr Serkan Turkmen is a Naval Architect, Marine Engineer and currently Newcastle University lecturer in Marine Engineering.

His research interests are experimental and computational fluid dynamics, ship propulsion, performance monitoring, marine systems, alternative fuels, Marine 4.0, and Society 5.0.

His current research includes the novel Gate Rudder system, hydrogen-battery powered retrofittable propulsion system, direct drive generator for wave energy converters and biofouling prevention using UVc light.

He has been PI and Co-PI several national and international projects and the chairperson of Hydro Testing Forum.

Dr Xiang Xie is the Built Environment Fellow of the 1851 Royal Commission, and the Academic Track Fellow at the School of Engineering, Newcastle University. Before 2022, he was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, and the UK Centre for Digital Built Britain (CDBB) since 2018.

Dr Xie’s research interests focus on data-driven asset management for smart infrastructure. He applied machine learning, knowledge graphs, and digital twins to facilitate the digital transformation of urban built environments and maritime domains. His work was awarded the Charles Manby Prize by ICE in 2024.

PhD, CEng, FIMechE, FHEA, James Watt Research Chair, Director of Research for the School of Engineering and Head of Clean Energy Engineering Research Group at the University of Birmingham. He is a member of the MaRes Hub EDI Action Group.

Research interests:
Research interests are focused on low and carbon-free energy carriers, hydrogen and ammonia utilisation in power generation and combustion, heat recovery and use of CO2 in H2 production and catalysis. Has Industrial and Academic expertise for more than 25 years in environmental catalysts, exhaust gas-assisted fuel reforming and ammonia cracking for on-board hydrogen production and combustion.

Specialism in hydrogen safety engineering and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling of hydrogen thermal and pressure hazards. Essential contribution to establishing HySAFER Centre as a centre of excellence in hydrogen safety.

Co-author of a number of hydrogen safety guidelines, breakthrough leak-no-burst safety technology for high-pressure hydrogen storage (EU patent application No.18706224.5).

Contribution to teaching in hydrogen safety area (PGCert in Professional Development at Ulster University, Joint European Summer School organised by Birmingham University). Supervision and co-supervision of 13 PhD students. Co-investigator in totally 21 projects. Total number of publications 100+.

Dongping Song (Senior Member of IEEE and member of CILT) is a Chair of Supply Chain Management at University of Liverpool Management School. He is an Associate Editor for Transportation Research Part E and International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics.

His research interests include applying data analytics and mathematical modelling to supply chain, logistics and transportation systems, especially in maritime sectors, for operational efficiency and emission reduction. His research has been funded by EPSRC, ESRC, Royal Society, British Council, Innovation Launchpad Network+, European Commission.

He has published 50 refereed articles and 2 monographs in maritime areas.

John Irvine CBE, FRSE, FRSC has made unique and world-leading contributions to the science of energy materials, especially fuel cell and energy conversion technologies. This research has ranged from detailed fundamental to strategic and applied science and has had major impact across academia, industry and government. Irvine’s science is highly interdisciplinary extending from chemistry and materials through physics, bioenergy, geoscience, engineering, economics and policy.

The quality and impact of Irvine’s research has been recognised by a number of national and international awards, including the honour of the Commander of the Order of the British Empire(CBE) in the Kings Birthday Honours List 2024, the Royal Society’s Hughes Medal in 2021, the Lord Kelvin Medal from the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2018, the Schönbeim gold medal from the European Fuel Cell Forum in 2016, the RSC Sustainable Energy Award in 2015, and earlier RSC recognition by being awarded the Bacon and Beilby awards.

Highlights of Irvine’s activities include discovery of the Emergent nanomaterials phenomenon, establishing the field of oxide fuel electrodes, delivering high performance direct carbon fuel cells and demonstration of significant hydride ion conductivity.  Other important achievements relate to photocatalysis, lithium ion batteries, non-stoichiometric oxides, Structure/ Property/Function, catalysis and electrocatalysis and bioenergy.

Pengfei Liu is currently the Professor of Marine Hydrodynamics at Newcastle University, the Lead of Theme 4 of the Flagship UK National Clean Maritime Hub Project. He is a Fellow of American Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, a Fellow of Royal Institute of Naval Architects, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Pengfei obtained a B.Eng. in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering at Wuhan University of Technology and M.Eng. and PhD degrees at Memorial University of Newfoundland, respectively. He served as Senior Research Officer for National Research Council Canada (NRC) for about 20 years.

Professor Pietro Tricoli is Professor of Power Electronics Systems at the University of Birmingham and holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Naples Federico II, Italy.

His research interests are in advanced power conversion systems and electrical energy storage for automotive, railway, and maritime power systems. He has over 150 research publications in international scientific journals and conference proceedings, as well as 2 book chapters and one university textbook in power electronics, electric machines and drives.

Professor Tricoli is senior member of IEEE, member of the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society, the Energy Institute and the IET Midlands Power Group and currently serves as Deputy Editor in Chief of the IET journal Renewable Power Generation, and Web & Publication Chair of the IEEE International Conference on Clean Electrical Power.

MSc Quantum Radiophysics; PhD Chemical Physics; DSc Fire and Explosion Safety.

Fellow of HEA, Cartered Engeneer, Fellow of EI, Chartered Energy Engineer. Director of Hydrogen Safety Engineering and Research Centre at Ulster University, a key providers of hydrogen safety research and education globally. Chair of Education Committee of International Association for Hydrogen Safety. Member: UN GTR#13, SGS; ISO/TC197 Hydrogen Technologies; CEN/CENELEC/JTC6 Hydrogen in Energy Systems; IEA Task 43 Hydrogen Safety; etc. Coordination and contribution to 42 national and EU projects in hydrogen safety with income £12M. 400+ publications, e-Book “Fundamentals of Hydrogen Safety Engineering” (www.bookboon.com), 15 inventions.

Professor Yaodong Wang is an active researcher working on energy systems.

Yaodong has conducted research on “Optimising the operation of a large two-stroke marine engine for slow steaming”; and “Investigation of ‘slow steaming’ operation on the performance and fuel consumption of a ship”. He has taught MSc marine engineering for over 10 years in the past.

Research expertise/interest:

• Biofuel or biomass trigeneration/cogeneration with energy storage;
• energy systems such as wind, solar; biomass, biomass/coal thermal power plants;
• Miller Cycle diesel engines;
• biofuel petrol/diesel engine;
• organic Rankine cycle;
• thermal energy management; energy saving using passive and active methods.

Website: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/yaodong-wang/

Ying Xie specialises in data analysis, machine learning models, transport decarbonization, and logistics modelling and simulation. Her work supports stakeholders in the maritime sector by accelerating transition towards decarbonisation through upscaling the adoption of clean energy and improving operational efficiency.

She is the Co-I for several related EPSRC funded projects, contributing to the decarbonisation of transport. Her accomplishments include the creation of an AI driven decision making tool, which could improve operational efficiency and resilience at the Port of Felixstowe. She leads the Co-Innovation methodology and impacts group in the EPSRC funded UK National Clean Maritime Hub. She also leads the academic and research activities in the EPSRC CDT in Net Zero Aviation.

Prof. Zhiqiang Hu is the Lloyd’s Professor of Offshore Engineering and the Head of the Marine, Offshore, and Subsea Technology Group at the School of Engineering, Newcastle University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Ship Engineering, as well as his master’s and doctoral degrees in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

Prof. Hu serves as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Ocean Engineering and is a member of the ISSC V.6 committee and the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA). His research focuses primarily on offshore renewable energy, offshore hydrodynamics, and the collision and grounding of ships and offshore structures.